A Pragmatic ICT4D Approach to Environmental Ethics for Rural and Marginalised Areas (RMAs): The Perspicacity of Dwesa Community
Phumzile Nomnga, Mfundo Shakes Scott · Journal of Human Ecology · 2016
The implementation of Information and Communication Technology for Development (ICT4D), as a fast growing anthropocentric phenomenon, can have severe implications on environmental conservation. In spite of this, access to ICTs is an essential component of the global knowledge economy. However, the urban based public sector institutions on which residents of RMAs depends for access to ICTs consumes enormous amounts of power and their wasteful usage of ICT resources is not properly controlled. This fast developing trend can be mitigated through the introduction of rules and codes related to the usage of ICT resources in RMAs to reduce pressure on their urban based public sector institutions. Several e-services have been implemented in the Dwesa Community and the perspicacity obtained reveals a non-anthropocentric attitude they have created in this RMA. The paper proposes a pragmatic ICT4D approach to environmental ethics.